Telecom Service Disruption Caused by Negligence of Management and Vendors
Around 21.6 million telecom services in Nepal were affected when the GSM and PSTN services network of Nepal Telecom experienced a complete disruption for over one and a half hours on 17 January. Upon investigation, the committee assigned to look into the incident found that the employees and vendors of Nepal Telecom were involved in the service disruption.
The report revealed that Nepal Telecom suffered a loss of millions of rupees. The investigation also disclosed that CAS Trading, Nepal Telecom’s local partner company, attempted to repair the system without informing Asia Info, the company responsible for the Annual Maintenance Agreement (AMC) and the maintenance work. The system outage occurred CAS Trading tried to maintain without informing Asia Info, which is in charge of maintenance, without its approval and without studying and analyzing the complexity of the problem.
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IT Bill is all set to table in the Parliament: Minister Sharma
The Minister of Communication, Information, and Technology, Rekha Sharma, announced that efforts are being made to propose a bill in parliament for Information Technology Act. During a cyber security discussion hosted by Kantipur Media Group on 23 February, she stated that the ministry is working diligently to present the IT bill to parliament as soon as possible.
The minister further stated that cyber security threats and the lack of awareness among the general public have increased, making it necessary to promote cyber security awareness as a joint effort by the government and citizens to address the issue. Minister Sharma also informed that the drafting of National Cyber Security Policy is in its final stage and the government is committed to finalize and implement it at its earliest.
Ncell Seeking Permission from Government for 5G Test
Ncell Aziata Limited expressed disappointment with the government for not granting permission to test 5G service and urged them to take their 5G application seriously. During an event held by the Technology Journalist Forum in Kathmandu on 23 February, a representative from Ncell complained of discrimination in the testing of 5G services. Ncell has already made a request to the government, through Nepal Telecommunication Authority, to allow 5G testing, but their petition has not been addressed for a long time. During the event, Ncell Axiata’s Chief Information Officer, Bishal Upadhyay, stated that the delay in 5G testing and the lack of priority given to Ncell has set Nepal back to the telecommunication development era of 2000.
Immigration Department and its Frequent Server down Issue
The server of the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport was down again on 19 February, stranding hundreds of passengers not able to get their visa on time. In the past also services were affected for hours due to frequent problems in online immigration system. An investigation is underway to find out how the server went down. According to officials Immigration server is connected to internet, intranet, Interpol, GIDC and telecom. When there is a problem in one subsystem, all the systems of the Immigration Department are affected. Department said the work of installing alternative local servers is going on after such problems started recurring.
Digital Piracy on Rise
Digital piracy is on the rise, according to a report by MUSO, a research firm focused on piracy. The report notes a 39% increase in the number of people pirating films in 2022 compared to 2021, and a 9% increase in those visiting piracy websites to watch TV shows. MUSO predicts that piracy will continue to rise in 2023, impacting the revenues and livelihoods of all those involved, especially small, independent creators and the broader economy. Piracy can also impact digital rights, limiting access to content, reducing investment in new content, and increasing censorship and surveillance. The report suggests that making content more affordable and accessible could help prevent piracy, while new laws and regulations may not be as effective.
South Korea Aims to Launch the First 6G Network by 2028
South Korea is set to be the first country to launch a 6G network by 2028. According to the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, South Korea has announced plans to launch a 6G network by 2028. The country has advanced its original timeline by two years and aims to secure “world-class” 6G technologies as part of the K-Network 2030 plan. The plan includes a focus on innovating a software-based next-generation mobile network and strengthening the network supply chain.
China banned AI Tool Chat GPT
Regulators have told major Chinese tech companies not to offer ChatGPT, developed by Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI, services to the public amid growing alarm in Beijing over the AI-powered chatbot’s uncensored replies to user queries and might be used to spread the propaganda against China. This is not the first time that China has blocked foreign websites or applications. Beijing has banned dozens of prominent U.S. websites and apps. Between 2009 and 2010, it moved to block Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Between 2018 and 2019, it instituted bans on Reddit and Wikipedia.
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DRN Participated in the Learning event on Data Governance in Nepal
The Asia Foundation organized the Learning event – Data Governance in Nepal on 19-21 February, where Stakeholders from federal, provincial and local governments, along with development partners, private sector and experts gather together. During the event Mr. Santosh Sigdel, Founding Chair of Digital rights Nepal participated and presented on insights on Data protection and privacy in Nepal.
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Cyber Security to avoid Cyber Attacks
Generally, digital security refers to safeguarding computers, mobile devices, tablets, and other internet-connected devices from cyber-attacks, phishing, and hacking. It encompasses the protection of computer systems, as well as the security of digital money, data, and identities. With the advent of the digital age, the internet has become an integral part of people’s lives. However, unchecked and undermined use of ICT and internet impact on cyber security. In this blog, DRN Chairperson discusses the current scenario of cyber security practices in Nepal and ways to stay safe.
To read the full blog: eKagaj
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Opportunity
Asia-Pacific Digital Rights Festival is happening this May
The upcoming Engagemedia’s Asia-Pacific Digital Rights Festival in May is an eagerly anticipated event for changemakers and digital rights advocates, journalists, media-makers, artists, designers, technologists, youth representatives, and more, who have been primarily interacting online for more than two years. This week-long festival in Chiang Mai presents a thrilling prospect for attendees to reconnect with their peers in person and establish fresh connections with potential allies for their advocacy.
To register: Attend the Festival – EngageMedia
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RIPE Labs Article Competition Opened
The RIPE Labs is organizing an article competition on the Internet theme with good prizes for winners, a fully funded trip to the next RIPE meeting taking place this May in Rotterdam. RIPE labs is looking for articles about where the Internet came from, where it’s going, and how we measure and understand where it is right now.
For more information: RIPE labs
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Digital Rights Weekly is a week-based update on Digital Rights and ICT issues, that happened throughout the week, compiled and analyzed from the digital rights perspective by Digital Rights Nepal (DRN). DRN is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to the protection and promotion of digital rights, including the right to online freedom of expression and association, online privacy, access to information, and related issues such as internet governance, cyber laws/policies, and cyber securities in Nepal.
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